The Ruins of Palmyra, otherwise Tedmor, in the Desart

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London: [Robert Wood]

Abstract

Englishman Robert Wood (1716-71) travelled through Syria with an entourage of 200 men, and a large caravan of camels, asses, and horses. When he came upon the white marble ruins of Palmyra in Syria in 1751, he was awestruck. Surrounded by desert, the city, initially called Tadmor, was built on the commercial gains from trade routes in the region, mainly the Silk Road. The ancient Semitic city changed hands over time, from Persians to Greeks to Romans. This large format volume, published by Wood soon after his return to England, had a ‘profound effect on classical taste in England’ and influenced many European architects. Sadly, much of what you see here in this plate was destroyed by ISIS in 2015